The 2025-26 Budget: Understanding Recent Increases in the Medi-Cal Senior Caseload

Mar 6, 2025 - Figure  10 shows the average number of Medi ‑Cal enrollees over 65 who are enrolled in Medi ‑Cal for the first time in their lives in four selected time periods —before the continuous coverage period, during continuous coverage but before the asset test phase out, the asset test phase ‑out period, and finally after elimination of the asset test.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5010

A Long-Term Outlook: Disability Among California’s Seniors

Nov 28, 2016 - Not only do seniors with more than a high school education live longer on average than their counterparts with less education, they are projected to spend a smaller share of their life after turning 65 with one or more ADL limitations on average than seniors with a high school degree or GED credential and seniors with less than a high school education (17.1  percent vs. 21.1  percent and 26.2  percent, respectively).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3509

The 2026-27 Budget: Department of Developmental Services

Mar 13, 2026 - RCs are responsible for providing assessments and diagnoses to determine eligibility; this process can include a review of an applicant ’s records as well as tests performed by doctors and/or psychologists.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5157

COVID-19: American Rescue Plan’s Major Health-Related Funding Provisions

May 6, 2021 - While the federal government has announced other efforts to expand and support testing activities with ARP Act funding, such as providing $2.25  billion nationwide to address COVID-19-related health inequities among communities of color and among people living in rural areas, further CDC allocations from the ARP Act to states for testing, contact tracing, mitigation, and laboratory capacity await future announcement from CDC.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4425

An Update on the Public Health Laboratory System After the Pandemic

Jun 12, 2025 - These laboratory branches include specializations such as food and drug testing, environmental health testing, genetic testing, and infectious disease testing and surveillance. The state public health laboratory acts as the reference laboratory for the state, and as such, provides more complex testing services needed to further characterize pathogens identified at the local level.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5056

The 2022-23 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 24, 2022 - COVID-19 Testing in Schools. The spending plan includes $200  million General Fund in 2021-22 for the state to directly purchase COVID-19 tests for schools and $102  million General Fund ($405  million total funds) in 2022-23 for schools to bill Medi-Cal for COVID-19 testing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4642

Update on COVID-19 Spending in California

Nov 5, 2020 - In addition, as a result of physical distancing and other changes in people ’s daily lives, the pandemic has taken a toll on Californians ’ mental health and disrupted the ordinary provision of various public services.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4292

Federal COVID-19 Response Actions Affecting Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities

Apr 16, 2020 - It is our understanding that the cash assistance will not affect eligibility for the large means-tested programs, including SSI/SSP and Medi-Cal. Expands Eligibility for Unemployment Benefit to Workers Directly Affected by COVID-19 .
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4221

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Health

Oct 16, 2025 - Reinstates an Asset Test. The spending plan reinstates the verification of assets, commonly referred to as an asset test, to determine Medi-Cal eligibility for seniors and persons with disabilities. Under the spending plan, seniors and persons with disabilities will need to verify that their countable assets do not exceed $130,000 per individual and $195,000 per couple.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5075

COVID-19: Federal Health-Related Response

Mar 23, 2020 - Specifically, the CARES Act: Broadens requirement that private health insurers cover COVID-19 testing, with no cost sharing, to include tests that have requested emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration, tests developed by states, and any other tests the U.S.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4209